Chapter 120 The Black Witch (2)

Chapter 120 The Black Witch (2)

Chapter 120: The Black Witch (2)

Alice's office was akin to a small library.

All four walls were adjacent to bookshelves on which seemingly thousands of books rested. If all of them were skills, then her collection surely was on another level. Her love for reading seemed to run deep in her veins as she also had thick books hanging close to the ceiling, adding a magical sense to her workplace.

A few seemed to have disappointed her as they were strewn around the floor. Overall, her room was pretty vast, as one would expect from an official worker from another world institution. She had a lot of room to move, and as she stood up and went to pick up some tea herself, Hunter could have seen a few books getting stoved off by invisible magic as she made her way to the small table huddled in the corner on which she had a few snacks and tea bags.

Hunter was sitting in the middle of the room by the table. Her table seemed to be made of at least eight smaller tables, making a square in which the cauldron was resting. It was boiling with bubbles and a few magical letters bobbing in its content. The water kept changing colors, too.

Mayun was on his side, nervously waiting to start the story.

Soon, the black witch returned to their side, offering them cookies and tea. Now, it was Mayun's time to explain what had occurred from the start. Before meeting her mother, she was so casual about it, but now that Alice had chided her, Mayun knew she was about to get spanked or more.

"S-s-so! I ran away because geezers are annoying!" Mayun emphasized how annoying those old bastards were, hoping her mother would relate to it and get softer on her. That didn't work as the black witch casually gestured for her to go on while drinking the tea.

In fact, she seemed to take more glances at Hunter instead of her. Mayun despaired. Her story then unfolded before Alice, telling about her hardships as she forked out a lot of money to get merchants to take her and provide her with lodging and food.

She could have done it so more efficiently that even Hunter sighed and shook his head, getting silent approval from the black witch.

Then, Mayun began the topic of demons. Just that term alone nearly made Alice choke on her tea, but she composed herself well and wiped off her lips before gravely looking at her daughter.

Mayun was quick to reassure her mother before continuing to the best part.

Yes, the Black Prince!

"The Black Prince saved me and his women who were caught in there!" Mayun stood up and passionately began speaking about the idol that took over her heart. That idol was now even her friend!

Her mother tilted her head and asked, "Isn't it the Death Prince?"

Mayun gasped and froze, "B-Black Prince! Because his armor is black!"

"Why are you so childish?" Alice sighed.

Mayun stumped into her chair and continued the story without hiding anything. That was naturally because Hunter had allowed her to speak about him and his beloveds.

He wanted to make a proper connection with the black witch and use her and her daughter's powers to learn skills! Right now, he could only develop them on his own or get the inheritance to bless him with skills. It was more than Hunter could ask for, but it would also be good to have skills that humans here developed—for example, hiding skills like Seraphina had.

The more, the better—it was like a double-edged sword, but Hunter believed he could become much more efficient if he were to learn new ways of utilizing his powers. He had to be careful once he learned how to absorb skills from the skills books.

"Black Prince! I won't give up on this nickname! And I know the Black Prince well!"

"Of course, it's Mr. Hunter beside you, isn't it?"

"M-Mom... how? It was supposed to be a cool revelation!"

"I could tell this much from your stupid rambling," Alice replied before turning her green eyes sharper. "Stand up and go bend over the window. Let the whole Hunter Union hear of your punishment."

"N-no! I refuse! Let only Hunter hear it! It's already too embarrassing!" Mayun protested.

However, her mother didn't give in. With a threatening smile, she forced Mayun to obey her words. Soon, an invisible hand coalesced from Alice's mana, and it began slapping her ass so strongly that the whacking sounds eclipsed her cries. Alice adapted her strength, forming a strain of perfectly balanced cries and whacks resounding across the workplace and some of The Hunter Union.

Alice inwardly commented, 'Since you've failed to charm The Death Prince and he shows no interest in you as a woman, I see no reason to not hold back at all. May this lesson be heard by as many people as possible.'

"Ah! S-Stop! Ah! Mom! It hurts! Mom! Mom! Ah, save me! B-Black Prince!"

"Refused," Alice said after sipping her tea, "Do you think you will luck out again? Demons are no joke! Repent for making me worried for two months!"

"Sorryyyyyyyy!"

Later that day, the headmistress of the union would invite Alice for a talk, for the cries of a young woman screaming 'mom', 'sorry', 'Black Prince', 'hurts, hurts, hurts', had reached her office, too.

-

"No mana?" Alice asked, her eyes widening at this revelation. Now, it was what a revelation should be!

Hunter nodded, "Do you know how mana came to be?"

"Hmmm..." Alice mused over this question. She, of course, knew a thing or two, but her knowledge was a secret a few talented magicians learned back in her home. It was essential to know every secret of mana to produce the best results, and since magicians were the only people who could turn skills into skill books, their knowledge of mana exceeded even those of the spirits.

Well, rather than exceeded, the spirits that they had pledged an oath to were more knowledgeable about mana than others, that was pretty much all.

Alice broke into a troubled smile, "I feel like our conversation will soon lay bare secrets not anyone can simply learn of. As much as I'm grateful for you saving my daughter, and I really wish to work with you to help you become even stronger than you already are, I know a few disheartening truths about our world that might put me and you in danger."

Hunter silently stared at her.

He soon smiled, "Weaker gods shared their secrets with mortals. The others with prestige didn't like it. The war broke out. The blood of gods spilled into mortal worlds, giving mortals access to mana. I suspect some harnessed that chance better than others, developing what we know nowadays as a noble mana and bloodline."

Alice's smile disappeared. She raised her hand and used her skill to bring her a smoking pipe. She rarely smoked and even told her daughter that she was no longer addicted, which was true, but she still had a knack for smoking whenever her heart grew too troubled or nervous.

It was such a time now. n).o/-v(.E--l./b-)I-/n

"You might know more than I do," Alice muttered after blowing out a huge cloud. It was a colorful cloud that smelled pretty nice, so Hunter failed to imagine that she was taking in toxins. "Some have harnessed a chance better... seems like you were born with much better promise. And you put me between a choice of looking past it or working together with you."

Hunter remained silent.

Alice tapped the table with her pipe, shaking off the ashes before raising it up to her lips, "You see, I feel like I have achieved all I wanted in my life. I made my own magical style, got a talented but stupid daughter, and saved enough income and status to be a part of the high-class community. A few mistakes were done, but I'd say I'm set for a life."

Mayun whispered, pouting, "Me not that stupid."

Ignoring her daughter, Alice continued, "But except for those two months in which I was stressed beyond the pale, my perfect stalemate turned me dull. So dull I even forgot about my younger days where I was striving to make my dreams come true, to chase after after what all deemed pointless and foolish. You made me feel a little younger, Mr. Hunter. I feel like chasing another level of witchcraft that I personally lost hope for."

She smiled at him.

It was such a difficult smile to see through, even with Hunter's new experience. She was so mature and even had a child, so Alice's air and countenance were so ripe that Hunter, who was much younger than her, would have never felt any attraction toward her out of respect.

But in that smile, he could see youthful desires aimed at him. Which turned her smile into one that hit all his preferences, one that made Hunter feel like a simp.

Mayun narrowed her eyes as she looked at her Black Prince with disappointment. She recalled Aimee's words, and he was indeed big on mature women.

"I'll share my secrets with you, Hunter, if you will, of course."

"Yes, call me only Hunter, beautiful!"

"Haha! You're so cute! I really feel like we can become close!"

"Old hag!" Mayun chimed in to protect her Black Prince from getting corrupted into a simp!

"What did you call me?!"

"It hurts!"

Alas, Alice was much stronger and experienced, easily putting her out.

A few minutes later, Hunter and Alice earnestly began sharing their skills and main sources of powers to create a skill book or a potion that would make him learn the skills he desired.